Expressing creativity at work

As we all know, not every professional activity rhymes with creativity. Do you have to work in the arts to express your creativity? Not necessarily. There are many ways of making a personal contribution to a project. How do you go about it? We explain in this article.

Being yourself, being creative, expressing your opinions and sharing your ideas, all the while fitting into your professional world: this is a challenge for many employees within their company. But it's a great opportunity to express your creativity in your own environment.

Discover creativity in a different way

Admittedly, being a chartered accountant or a prison guard may not be the most creative of jobs. Creativity is seen here as a concept that enables you to step out of your comfort zone, to move beyond the status of a simple 'doer' to that of a proactive stakeholder in the company.

Creativity means the power and ability to invent, imagine and achieve something new. So it's not enough to put on your clown nose or draw on the walls to be a 'creative', but rather to have a creative approach to the work you do.

Creativity can be found in many fields other than the arts. It's an ability to adapt and make an activity fun, while making it your own.

Can we learn to be creative?

How can we put creativity at the heart of everyone's skills? We don't learn how to use it at school, let alone exploit it. Creativity is a sensitive, emotional skill, more commonly known as a "soft skill". With all the codes of the corporate world, is there really room for creativity within large groups? You can be creative anywhere. The right question to ask is: "What can I bring to the table that's not already there?", according to Emmanuelle Jardat, Director of Innovation at Orange, interviewed by Les Echos. She stresses the importance of taking ownership of everyday tasks.

Being prepared to take on unexpected challenges and adapt to unforeseen situations means that the brain doesn't fall asleep in a rut, and can find solutions in a short space of time. This boosts curiosity and allows us to forget the comfortable rituals into which we sometimes sink.

A few tips for letting your creativity flow

Trusting yourself is the best way to achieve your goals. Everyone can develop treasures of creativity to accomplish whatever is asked of them. The key is to find a fun, alternative solution to a given situation. For example, if you are asked to lead and direct a meeting, you can find innovative techniques: change the dynamic by sitting on the floor, in a circle, or by standing. Throw a ball to each person who wants to speak - the key is to diversify the way you work and make it fun.

If the company's infrastructure allows, a space dedicated to creativity can also be set up, as a place for reflection, exchange and sharing of ideas, for example.

By improving interpersonal skills and always putting people at the centre of professional activities, creative grey matter is put to good use, helping to integrate employees into a positive and caring daily routine.

"Choose a job you love, and you won't have to work a day in your life". This quote, attributed to Confucius, makes us reflect on the sometimes unhealthy relationship we have with our work. It's up to us to make our work exciting and attractive. If we're going to spend a third of our lives at work, we might as well add the ingredients we need for self-fulfilment and self-fulfilment!